BAGUIO Representative Mark Go’s bill raising the mandatory yearly service incentive leave (SIL) from five days to 10 days has been approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading.
House Bill 988, authored by Baguio City Representative Mark Go, gathered 273 yes votes, zero no votes, and zero abstentions during Tuesday’s plenary session.
Under the bill, all employees will be granted 10 days of SIL annually as long as they have rendered at least one year of service.
“With the increase in the number of leave credits in the form of sick or vacation leaves left purely at the discretion of employers, employees constrained by limited leave credits are left vulnerable to sickness, emergencies, and other fortuitous events that would cost them a day of paid work,” Go said in his explanatory note.
“The granting of paid leaves is not only beneficial to the employees but economically advantageous for employers as well. Such incentives boost the morale and satisfaction of employees which are manifested in increased productivity,” he added.
The increased number of paid leaves, however, will not apply to those who are already enjoying the benefit provided, those enjoying vacation leave with pay of at least 10 days, and those employed in establishments regularly employing less than ten employees or in establishments exempted from granting this benefit by the Secretary of Labor after considering the viability or financial condition of such establishment.
